Cotton-cleaning machine



Nov. 4 s 1924' V. D. HARLAN COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug. 22, 19237 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNE YS NOV; 4 a

V. D. HARLAN COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug. 22 19% 7 Sheets-Sheet 2IN VEN TOR A TTORNE YS NgvQ} V. D. HARLAN COTTON CLEANING MACHINETSheet-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 22, 1923 IN VEN TOR IQZHarZaw A TTORNE YS Nov.4 1924.

V. D. HARLAN COTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug 22,

1923 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR A TTOR'NE YS Nov. 4 1924- V. D. HARLANCOTTON CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug. 22 1923 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORI/LFIHQI'ZQFV ATTORNEYS Nov. 4 1924- V. D. HARLAN COTTON CLEAN 1 MGMACHINE] INVEN'I'OR A TTOR NE YS Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITE Sl'TES VAN DGN l-IARLAN, OF HUMPHREY, ARKANSAS.

COTTON-CLEANING 'MACHINE.

Application filed August 22, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VAN DON HARLAN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Humphrey, in the county of Jefierson and State ofArkansas,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGotton-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to acotton cleaning machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine or apparatus wherebysuction may be employed for cleaning cotton in an exceedingly efilcientmanner.

It is also an object of the invention that the machine or apparatus beadapted to operate in a continuous manner and serve to clean the cottonat relatively high rate with respect to quantity or bulk of cottoncleaned.

A further object of the invention is that means be provided wherebycotton bolls passing through the machine without releasing the cottontherein will be collected and broken or cracked and again submitted to acleaning operation for retrieving the cotton.

It is also within the scope of the objects of the invention that themachine operate in an economical manner, that is, without injury to thecotton being cleaned and without loss of cotton.

Other objects, and objects relating to details of construction,combination and arangement of parts will hereinafter appear in thedetailed description to follow.

The invention is illustrated byway of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the machine or apparatus,

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation of the same,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine, I

Figures 4i and 5 are transverse sectional views oi the machine takensubstantially on the lines 4- and 5-5, respectively, of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure5,

Serial No. 658,809.

Figure is a detail View of a saw section employed, the teeth of whichserve for gathering cotton,

Figure 8 is a View in elevation of the forward end of the machine,

Figure 9 is a reduced horizontal sectional view taken through the deviceand taken substantially on the line 9+9 of Figure 5,

Figure 10 is a detail view illustrating the construction of the bollcracker employed,

Figure 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the return conveyor forcracked bolls and cotton,

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken substantially on the lines 12-12 ofFigure 11, and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner ofintroducing the cracked bolls and cotton into the suction drum from theelevator or conveyor.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, the machine may comprise ahousing, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, said housingbeing supported by the uprights 11 and said uprights preferably beingconnected at their lower ends by a. suitable base frame 12. The uprights11 are arranged to support the housing 10 in an in clined position asillustrated best in Figure 1.

Other reinforcing members (not shown), may be employedvtor supportingthe housing 10, and the construction of the housing 10 should be with aview of providing an air-tight enclosure. For thepurpose of reference,the housing 10 comprises the forward end wall 18, the rear end wall 14,and the two side walls 15, the top wall 13, and a bottom comprising twoslanting walls 1a which have disposed between the lower end thereof atrough, generally indicated by the reference numeral 15.

Within the housing 10 there is positioned a drum, generally indicated bythe reference numeral 16. Adjacent each end of the drum and upon theexterior thereof, there is secured a track member 17. The housing 10carries aplurality of rollers 18 for each of the track members 17. Therollers for each track member are preferably three in number, andarranged as best shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. These rollersare suitably supported within bearings carried by the housing 10 andadapted to permit rotative movement of the drum 16. Also each rollerprojects through the housing 10, and in order to maintain the housing anair-tight enclosure, there is provided for each roller a cap or cover20.

Adjacent the rear end of the drum there is mounted a ring gear 21, saidring gear being in constant mesh with a drive gear 22 carried by thedrive shaft 23. The drive gear 22 extends through a side wall of thehousing 10, and a suitable cap or cover 241 is provided for the drivegear in order to maintain the housing 10\ air-tight. The shaft 23 hasconnected therewith a shaft 25 through a universal joint 26 and theshaft 25 is suitably supported and carries at its forward end a pair ofband wheels 27 and 28. The band wheel 28 is loosely mounted upon theshaft 25, while the band wheel 27 is rigidly secured to said shaft. Apower belt upon the band wheel 27 may be utilized for driving the shaft25, and when desired, this power belt may be shifted to the band wheel28 and permitted to idle. One or more bolts 30, Figure 9, may beextended transversely through the housing 10 and arranged to engage theflanges of the tracks 17 and thereby hold the drum against longitudinalmovement.

'Upon the interior of the drum there is secured a plurality of rings 32,each ring comprising a plurality of sections 33, and each section beingin the form of a channel member, as illustrated to advantage in Figures6 and 7 and having the free edge of each side flange thereof serrated toprovide teeth 34. The different sections of each of the rings 32 aresecured to the drum by rivets or the like 35, and these rings may bereferred to as cotton-gathering elements, and they are arranged inspaced relation longitudinally of the interior of the drum. The forwardend portion of the drum is provided with perforations 36 and the rearend portion of the drum is provided with enlarged openings 37 as shownto advantage in Figure 3 of the drawings. The rings 32 are also providedwith perforations and openings, as shown in Figure 7, and. theperforations in the rings: agree and register with the perforations andopenings in the wall of the drum. As. shown in Figure 9, the spaceexisting between the drum and the interior of the housing 10 is dividedby the longitudinally extending wall 38 and transverse Walls 39 into thetwo chambers 40 and 41. divided by the two longitudinally extendingpartition members 43 and 44, whereby The chamber 41 is in turn toprovide a vacuum chamber 45 and a collecting chamber 46. (Figure .5.)

Preferably the forward end wall of the housing 10 is provided with adoor 47 (Figure 8), and this front wall also supports a suction pipe 48which is adapted to direct material drawn therethrough into the interior of the drum and at an angle to the longitudinal axis of thedrum,as best illus trated in Figure 5. The pipe or inlet member 48 isprovided with an angularly ex tending outlet portion 50 at its inner.end for directing the cotton or material drawn therethrough in thedirection heretofore referred to. The forward end of the inlet orsuction pipe 48, is extended. from the front wall of the housing 10 andadapted to be connected to a suitable nozzle which may be utilized fordrawing picked cotton; that is, cotton when brought from the fields andin an unclean state.

The ends of the drum 16 are open and arranged longitudinally of the drumin a suction pipe, generally indicated by the reference character 51.This suction pipe has its forward end closed, as at 52, and its rear endadapted to be connected with source of suction. The pipe has alongitudinally extending opening 53 and from the longitudinal edges ofthis opening there are extended the plates or flanges 54 and 55, each ofwhich terminates at its free end in close relation to the cottongathering rings 32. The member 54 carries at its free end a plate member56, said plate membe-r being pivotally attached to the member 54, asshown at 57, and the plate member 56 is pressed outwardly by a suitablespring 58, whereby to cause the same to frictionally engage the innerperipheral surface of'the drum 16. The member 56 may be recessed inorderto accommodate the different cotton gathering rings 32. Adjacent theouter side of the plate flange 55 there is positioned longitudinally ofthe drum a roller 59, said rollerbeing suitably supported by a shaft 60for rotative movement. The roller carries a multiplicity of flaps 61which are adapted to engage upon the inner periphery of the drum 16. Theroller 59 together with the flaps 61 carried thereby may be manufacturedas a doffer roll. This 'doifer roll should rotate in the same'directionas the drum, and at the same speed in order to prevent the teeth of therings 32 cutting the flaps 61.

Also longitudinally of the drum 16 there extends a roller 62, saidroller being provided with a plurality of ribs 62 extendinglongitudinally thereof and suitably supported for rotative movement by ashaft 63. Each rib 62 is provided with a plurality of radially extendingrecesses 64 whereby to accommodate the cotton gathering rings 32,

as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing. I

shown.

' housing 10.

The roller 62 should'rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation ofthe drum 16, for a purpose which will later be described. Also it shouldbe mentioned that the flanges Fi l and constitute a nozzle for the pipe51.

Longituoinally of the trough 15 there is disposed a worm 65, said wormbeing carried by a shaft 66, and the rear end of said shaft carrying asprocket wheel 67 which is driven through a chain 68, said chain beingtrained over a :uitable sprocket wheel 69 carried by the drive shaft 23.Above the shaft 23 there is rotatably supported shaft 70 which is drivenfrom the shaft 23 through suitable pulleys and a belt, as illustrated inFigure l, and this shaft in turn is connected through the means of apulley 70, belt '71, and pulley T2 for drivin the shaft 63 which carriesthe ribbed roller The trough 1.5 at its rear end communiwith a d chargechute 73, and this charge chiw in turn is adapted to com- ,icate with asuitable housing "4 in l l which there may be operated suitable discha;e rotative element (not shown) which may be driven through a shaft 75.The shaft in turn is driven throng suitable belts and pulleys from theshaft 25, as The .rotative element within the housing 74 should becapable of discharging foreig i matter from the chute 78 withoutadmitting air into said chute, and in this way prohibit air from gainingaccess to the In the rear end of the drum here is disposed the forwardor upper end of a trough, generally indicated by the reference numeral76 (Figure 4) the lower ei'id of said trough communicating with a hopper'77, said hopper having positioned therein the boll cracking mechanismwhich comprises a roller 78 having teeth 79 arranged thereon andpreferably of the shape shown, adapted to cooperate with the teeth 80carried by a movable member 81 for breaking the boll when the roller 78is rotated. The roller 79 should be rotated in the direction of thearrow 82, and the member 81 is adapted to be adjusted with respect tothe teeth 79 of the roller 78 by the means of the stem 83 and hand wheel84: threaded upon said stem. The hand wheel 84 should be heldstationary, that is, with respect to the longitudinal movement of thestem 83, and in this way the teeth 80 may be adjusted with respect tothe teeth 79. A screen 85 placed beneath the roller 78 and beneath thisscreen there is placed a funnel 86 adapted to receive any dirt, trash,or small foreign particles which may drop through the screen 85. Thefunnel 86 in turn communicates at its lower end with the chute T3. Thehopper 77 is also provided with an outlet pipe 87, and this pipe islocated adjacent the rear end of the hopper and will receive the crackedcotton bolls which may be discharged through the passage 88 at the rearof the roller 78. A cover 89 may be provided for the hopper 7'7, andadapted to form a closure over the chute 76, and in this way maintainthe housing 10 air-tight.

The outlet box 87 may communicate with a conveyor casing generallydesignated by reference character 90. The casing- 90 is arranged uponone side of the machine as shown in Figure 1, and adjacent each end ofthe casing there is rotatably supported a shaft 91 carrying a roller 92.The casing is inclined as shown, and its upper end communicates througha chute with the forward end of the drum 16. A pulley 94- is carried bythe uppeunost shaft 91 over which a power belt may be passed. About therollers 92 there passes a belt 95 which carries spikes 96. Any suitablesource of power such as an electric motor or the. like, may be used tooperate the belt 95 and this belt should be moved in a direction todeliver broken bolls and cotton to the chute 93.

The roller 78 is carried by the shaft 9'4 which carries at its one end aband wheel A. suitable power belt may be passed over the band wheel 95,and this belt utilized to operate the boll cracker; that is, rotate theroller 78 in the proper direction and the proper speed. The other end ofthe sha t 942 may carry a pulley 96 which may be connected through abelt 97 and pulley 98 for driving a shaft 99, said shaft 99 carrying atits one end a beveled pinion 106 which meshes with bevel gear 101carried by the shaft 60 for driving the doffer roll. At the rear end ofthe drum, there is positioned a plurality of blades 10% (Figure 3), toelevate unbroken cotton bolls.

In the use of the present apparatus the rear end of the pipe 51 shouldfirst be connected with a suitable source of suction, and then the shaft25 properly connected to a source of power supply through the pulley 27in the manner heretofore described. Also the power means for operatingthe boll cracker may be brought into operation and likewise the meansfor operating the conveyor or elevator belt should be brought intooperation. A pipe or nozzle may be connected to the forward end of theinlet pipe a8, and this nozzle is arranged so that the same may operateupon a quantity of gathered cotton. The nozzle referred to may bepositioned in wagon in which the gathered cotton has been placed, or ina store bin where the gathered cotton has been deposited,'and due to thesource of suction existing in the pipe 51 the cotton will be drawnthrough the inlet pipe 1-8 and discharged against the inner wall of thedrum 16 at a point adjacent its forward end, as illustrated to advantagein Figure 5 of the drawings. The direction of current of air for drawingin the forward end of the drum 16 will be gathered by the teeth 34 ofthe rings 32 and as the drum progresses in its rotative movement, thiscotton clinging to the teeth 34 will pass the drum 62 and also thedoifer drum 59, and upon reaching the inlet passage of the vacuum tubeor pipe 51, the same will be drawn into said tube or pipe and fromthence will be carried through the rear end of the pipe by the suctionand can then be deposited in a separator or cleaning machine. The member56 together with the doffer roll and partitions 43 and 441: maintain theair currents for gathering the cotton as illustrated in Figure 5. Theribbed roller 62 prevents bolls or other foreign par ticles from passingto a point where the same would be drawn into the vacuum pipe or tube51. These bolls and hulls as the drum rotates, fall to the bottom of thedrum, and eventually upon reaching the large perforations 37 toward therear end of said drum, the hulls fall out and the bolls are taken up bythe blades or fans 10% and deposited into the troughs 7 6 from whencethe same are discharged to the boll cracker. The boll cracker asheretofore described, operates to crack the bolls and separate the hullsfrom the cotton to a certain extent. The cracked bolls and cotton areagain returned to the drum in a manner heretofore described and ubmittedto, the same cleaning operation The dirt, trash and other small foreignparticles drop through the perforations 36 in the forward end of thedrum, while hulls and larger foreign particles drop through the openings37 formed in the rear end portion of the drum and gravitate into thetrough 15 from whence they are vmoved rearwardly by the worm 65 anddeposited through the chute 57 into the casing 74 and, as heretoforedescribed, suitable means are provided in-the casing 74. whereby theseforeign particles and hulls may be discharged without destroying theair-tightness of the chamber formed by the housing 10.

It has been found with a machine of this construction that cotton may becleaned efficiently, and at a relatively high rate with respect to bulkor quantity. It has also been found that cotton taken directly from thefields may be operated upon in an eflicient manner, that is, this cottonmay be efficiently separated from its hulls, etc, making it more adaptedfor better ginning.

\Vhile. I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, Iwish it to be understood that I am aware of the fact that theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts may be changed bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention, as indicated by the appended claims.

T claim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, an airtightenclosure, a suction pipe extending substantially the length of theenclosure, an elongated inlet in the side of the suction pipe, and meanswhereby with cotton being introduced into the enclosure the same will besubjected to a cleaning operation previous to entering said inlet of thesuction pipe.

2. In an appantus of the character described, an air tight enclosure, asuction pipe extending substantially the length thereof, an elongatednozzle extending laterally from the suction pipe, and means whereby withcotton ceing introduced into said enclosure the sam will be subjected toa cleaning operation previous to entering the suction pipe.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, an enclosure, a perforateand rotatable drum within the enclosure, a suction pipe within the drumhaving an elongated nozzle extending toward the inner periphery of thedrum, and a. pipe extending from the enclosure adapted to be employedfor drawing cotton into the drum.

f "in an apparatusof the character described, a perforate rotatabledrum, a suction pipe within the drum having an elongated nozzleextending laterally therefrom and terminating in close proximity to theinner periphery of the drum, and means whereby the suction of said pipemay be utilized for drawing uncleaned cotton into the interior of thedrum.

In an apparatus of the character de scribed, 21 perforate rotatabledrum, a suction pipe within the drum. having an elongated nozxleextending laterally therefrom and terminating in close proximity to theinner periphery of the drmn. means whereby the suction of said pipe maybe utilized for drawing uncleaned cot-ton into the interior of the drum,and sealing means whereby air entering the nozzle must pass throughperforations of the drum under which the nozzle is disposed.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a perforate rotatabledrum, a suction pipe within the drum extending longitudinally thereof, acurved nozzle extending laterally from the suction pipe and terminatingin close relation to the inner periphery of the drum, and means wherebycotton may be introduced into the drum to strike the inner peripherythereof upon one side of the nozzle.

7. A machine of the character described,

comprising an enclosure having aninlet, a. perforated drum within theenclosure, suction pipe within the drum adapted draw unclean cottonthrough the inlet of the enclosure and also cause a circulation of airthrough the perforations of said drum, means u hereby cotton may begathered upon the inner periphery of the perforated d m in a'cleancondition, and means whereby said gathered cotton may be delivered tosaid suction pipe and thereby drawn from said enclosure.-

8. In a machine of the character described, an enclosure having aninlet, a perforated inclined drum rotatably supporter within theenclosure, means for rotating said drum, a suction pipe Within the drumadapt ed to draw uncleaned cotton through the inlet of said enclosureand within the drum, means whereby the cotton in its unclean state willbe directed against the peripheral surface of the drum, means wherebycross currents may be created within. the drum from said suction pipeand thereby to clean said cotton upon the inner periphery of the drum,and means whereby said cleaned cotton will be permitted to pass from thedrum through said suction pipe at a certain period in the rotation ofsaid drun'i.

9. in an apparatus of the character described, a perforate rotatabledrum, a suction pipe within the drum extending lon tudinally thereof, anelongated nozzle tending laterally from the suction pipe and teri'ninzin close proximity to the er periphery of the drum, teeth projectingfrom the inner periphery of the drum, and means whereby upon cottonbeing injected into the drum only that adhering to the teeth will bepermitted to enter said nozzle 10. In an apparatus of the characterdescribed, a rotatable drum circular owe of teeth upon the innerperiphery of the drum, a rotatable shaft arranged adjacent the innerperiphery of the drum, and means carried by ihe shaft adapted to movebetween said rows of teeth for cleaning said teeth.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a rotatable drum,circular rows l f teeth upon the inner periphery of the di uni, arotatable shaft arranged adjacent the inner periphery of the d .n, andteeth e:.:- tending radially from the shaft acapted to nrove between therows of teeth. for cleaning said teeth.

12-. In a machine of the character described, a rotatable and perforateddrum, said drum being inclined longitudinally, means for causing acircuitous circulation of air transversely of the drum and thereby tocause the loose cotton within the drum to be drawn against the innerperipheral surface of said drum while the uncleaned bolls and hullstogether with other forsign particles may gravitate downwardly rough thedrum, and means for continur the cotton drawn against a the mner perpheral surface of the drum.

13. in machine of the character described, a rotataole and perforateddrum,

serforated drum within the encloure, means for rotating said drum, asucpipe within the drum having av nozzle oosed in close relation to theinner periphery of the drum, said suction pipe being adapted to drawuncleaned cotton through the inlet of the enclosure and within the drumand also to cause air currents through the perforated drum transverselyto the longj 'tudinal axis thereof and in a direction to arise the freecotton introduced into the drum to adhere to the inner side of the drumand means whereby cotton adhereing to the inner side of the drum may bepermitted to be drawn into the suction pipe during the rotation of saiddrum.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, an enclosure having aninlet, a rotatable pertorated drum within the enclo- 6 means forrotating said drum, a suction pipe longitudinally and within the drum,said suction pipe having a nozzle extent longitudinally thereof anddisposed in close relation at its outer end to the inner periphery ofthe drum, partitions within the enclosure whereby air currents will becaused by said suction pipe, said c'irrents being circuitous and adapted to draw uucleaned cotton through the inlet of said closure and thefree cotton upon the inner peripheral surface of said drum, projectionsupon the inner peripheral surface of the drum whereby to collect said.free cotton and to release the same when said cotton. is brought intoregister with the nozzle of said suction pipe.

16, In an apparatus of the character described, a rotatable drum, cottongathering elements within the drum each comprising a ring with teethupon the inner periphery thereof, a rotatable shaft arranged adjacentthe inner periphery of the drum, and means carried by the shaft andcooperating With the rows of teeth for cleaning the same.

17. In a cotton cleaning machine, a rotatable inclined drum adapted topermit uncleaned cotton to be deposited in the upper end thereof, ashaft arranged adjacent the inner periphery of the drum longitudinallyof said drum, teeth carried by the shaft movable in close relation tothe inner periphery of the drum, and means for revolving the drum andshaft in opposite directions whereby linters carried upon the inner vVAN DON HARLAN.

